Machine for inverting tubular fabrics.



W. B. PALMER. MACHINE FOR INVERTING TUBULAR FABRICS.

APPLICATION FILED APR.14,1909.

Patented Mar. 15, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

W. B. BALMER. MACHINE FOR INVERTING TUBULAR FABRIQS.

APPLICATION FILED APB.14,1909.

952,274, Patented Mar. 15, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2. ii? Fll v 17 4 5; 1 I :2o 29 A? no 3 w 45 L4 16 ii z/ L J 1 near-an stratrns PATENT onrion.

WILLIAM B. PALMER, or \GREENWIGH, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOB or one-HALF '20 cases v. PALMER, or GREENWICI-I, NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOR INVERTINQ TUBULAR. FABRICS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar. 15, 1910.

Application filed April 14, 1909. Serial No. 489,817.

Greenwich, in the county of Washington and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Inverting Tubular Fabrics, of which the foliowing is a specification. .7

- My present invention relates'to improvements 'n apparatus for inverting knitted or othe tubular fabric or hose of the class illustrated and described in Letters Patent, No. 878,995 granted to me February 11,

1908, and the object of the present invention is to provide an improvedmachine of this class whereby the packing of the fabric or hose upon the tubular mandrel preparatory to its inversion, is accomplished uniformly and with a" minimumfriction between the fabric and the tubular mandrel, and because ofthe manner in which the fabric is packed upon the tubular mandrel, the withdrawal of the packed fabric from the outside of the mandrel while its ends are being drawn through. the tubular mandrel is facilitated.

In the present embodiment of the invention, I have shown the same as adapted to that type of machine shown in my prior patent aforesaid and in this instance, a relative movement is provided between the tubular mandrel and the feeding or packing rolls or heads whereby these feeding rolls or heads may retreat as the packing of the fabric progresses, suitable mechanism being provided for operating the feed rolls or heads during the retreating and packing operation.

To these and other ends, theinvention consists in certain improvements, and combinations and arrangements of parts, all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out particularly in the claims at the end of the specification.

In the acconipanying drawing :Figure 1 a side elevation of a fabric inverting machine constructed in accordance with my present invention; Fig. 2 represents an end View of the machine as viewed from the left in Fig. l, portir'ms of the carriage ani' its track being shown in section; Fig. 3 represents. a horizontal section of the machine shown in the preceding figures; and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view of another arrange ment of the machine whereimthc retreating movement of the packing heads is retarded or controlled by a Weight instead of by, driving means.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in the several views.

-In the accompanying drawing, I have shown one embodiment of the invention, it

bein ada ted to a fabric invertin machine 4 Such as that illustrated and described in my prior patent mentioned above. While it may be preferable to apply the invention to a machine of this class it will be understood that I have so shown the invention merely as an example of oneof its applications, and certain. changes or modifications in the construction may be made in order that the invention may be applied to the best advantage in each particular instance.

In the present instance, the machine comprises generally a tubular mandrel 1 which is supported in a suitable position by means of brackets 2 mounted upon a stationary frame 3, and a pair of tracks 4 are mounted upon the floor or some other suitable support and are arranged in parallelism with the tubular mandrel. On the tracks 4 there is mounted a carriage 5 of any appropriate construction, this carriage being capable of movement longitudinally of the receiving tube or mandrel whereby the feed rolls or heads may retreat during the packing of the fabric upon the mandrel, and after the fabric has'been fully packed and during its inversion, the carriage with the feed rolls or heads may be returned, preparatory to the next packing operation.

In the present instance I have shown as an example one form of driving mechanism for reciprocating the carriage which consists of a pair of pulleys 6 and 7 which are mounted on stationary vertical axes and a belt or endless carrier 8 passes, around these two pulleys, this belt being in the form of a chain and having attachedto; one of its links a. pro ect1on which carries a roller 9,

this roller engaging in a transversely elongated slot 10 which is formed in a cross-bar 11 attached to the carrier. The carrier may move in the same direction, the roller 9 en gaging in one end of the slot 10 to cause a retreating inotion of the feed rolls or heads and while the roller?) passes around one of the pulleys, it will travel longitudirmlly of the slot 10 and assume a position at the opposite end thereof which latter position it loci ' illustrated as an example.

The carriage supports a pair of oppo-" sitely arranged feed rolls or heads 12 which are mounted on shafts 13 journalcd in appropriate bearings 14: that are carried by a pair of oppositely arranged hinged frames 15, these frames being pivotally attached to the carrier 5v at their lower ends by means of the hinges 16 which permit a yielding of the feed. rolls or heads in a direction transverse to the axis of the mandrel, and these rolls or heads are yieldinglypressed against the. fabric upon the tubular mandrel with the proper degree of pressure to insure the requisite hold by means ofa tension spring 17 which in the present instance connects the up er portions of the two frames.

ractiee has demonstrated that feed rolls' as it forms the subject matter of a separate application.

It is desirable to provide suitable power transmission mechanism whereby the rolls may be revolved simultaneously in reverse directions irrespective of the position of the carriage withreference to the mandrel. Any suitable-mechanism for accomplishing this result maybe employed. As an example, I have shown in the present instance a pair of pulleys 18 on the shafts of the respective feed rolls, a pair of driving ulleys.

19 and a pair of stationary idler pul eys 20 and also a pair of movable idler pulleys 21' jwhich are mounted on the carriage so that they may remain in fixed relation to the pulleys 18 on the shafts of the feed rolls. Belts 22 pass over these various ulleys and they are arranged in reverse re .ation, and rotation of the driving pulleys 19 in reverse directions will cause"corresponding rotation of the feed rolls in op osite directions so that those portions of their peripherieswhich engage the fabric upon the tubular mandrel will operate to properly feed the fabric thereon. v

In order to insure uniform speed of movement of the feed rolls, the driving pulleys and to the pulley 7, res ectively. may be applied to one of t e driving pulleys volvi'ng rolls serving in such aease to not only pack the fabric but toralso produce the retreating movement. Moreover, the retreating movement of the carriage may be reduced or controlled in different ways, an instance being shown in Fig. 4 whereln the mechanism'previously described for moving .or controlling the motion of the carriage may be omitted, and a weight or.other reconstruction shown is attached to the carriage by a flexible member. 31, the weight operating to resist or retard to the proper degree the retreating of the carriage during the packing of the fabric. Any construction may. be adopted, however, which is capable of accomp ishin the proper packing of the fabric during t e relative movement between the carriage and the receiving tube or mandrel.

In operating a machine constructed in aecordance withthe present invention, the tubular fabric on maybe introduced upon the free or unsupported end' of the tubular mandrel from a basket or other appropriate re ceptacle, and the packing of the fabric begins at a point adjacent to the brackets which so port the mandrel, the walls of the fabric being folded owing to the action of the feed rolls so that it'become's closely packed upon the mandrel. However, the feed rolls should retreat at a certain speed with respect to the desired packing of the material, and in order to accomplish this result, the means for imparting the traversing movements to the earria e carrying the feed rolls is connected in t e' present instance .to the driving pulleys for the feed -sistance device 30 may be used which in the v rolls by gearing of appropriate ratio, a con- I necting shaft 24 being) shown in the present instance which may e connected by bevel gearing 25 and 26 to one of the pulleys'19 Power 19 by m'eansof the ulley In the monstruction shown in Big. 4, however, the application of power to operate the carriage is not necessary. After the fabric has been.

packed upon the tubular mandrel,"the feed rolls are moved out 'of cooperatiye relation with the mandrel in order to permit are.- turn motion of the carriage preparatory to the next packing operation and also to permit one end of the tubular fabric to be introduced into the tubular mandrel and then drawn therethrough so-as to invert the fabric. In the present instance, I have shown'a pair of togglelinks 28 which are other at which time they will serve as a lock to positively hold the feed rolls out of engagement either with the tubular mandrel or with the fabric thereon. The breaking of the toggles will permit the spring 17 to operate freely to produce the necessary pressure between the feed rolls and the fabric upon the mandrel during the next packing operation.

By permitting a relative movement be tween the fabric-receiving tube or mandrel and the feed or packing rolls, the packing of the fabric on the tube or mandrel takes place progressively from one end toward the opposite end thereof so that an even packing of the fabric is insured without making it neces ary for the feed rolls to push the fabric the full length of the tube or man drel and, moreover, there is no liability of the fabric bunching or catching while it is being drawn from the exterior to the interior of the tube during the inverting operation owing to the even or uniform packing of the fabric.

I claim as my invention:

1. An apparatus for handling tubular fabrics comprising a receiving tube or mandrel and feed rolls or heads cooperative therewith, said tube and rolls being relatively movable longitudinally, and means for operating the rolls to feed the fabric longitudinally with respect to the tube, said rolls being'capable of a retreating movement during the packingof the material on the tube.

2. An apparatus for handling tubular fabrics comprising a receiving mandrel and feed rolls cooperative therewith, said mandrel and rolls being capable of a relative longitudinal movement, and means for operating the rolls to pack the material toward one end of the mandrel, said rolls being mounted so as to permit a relative longitudinal movement between them and the mandrel during the packing of the fabric thereon.

3. An apparatus for, handling tubular fabrics comprising a receiving tube supported on one end and adapted to receive a tubular fabric at its opposite end, a pair of rolls mounted in cooperative relation with the mandrel, means for operating the rolls to pack the'material on the tube, and means for causing a relative movement between said rolls and the tube whereby said rolls reccde'in a direction fro-m one.end of the tube during 'the packing of the fabric thereon. v

4, An apparatus for inverting tubular fabrics comprising a receiving tube, a car- 05- riage relatively movable axially thereof, feed rolls movable with said carriage and ada ted to pack the fabric on said tube, means -for driving said rolls irrespective of the position of said carriage, and means for controlling the relative movement between said rolls and the tube in a direction axially of the latter during the packing of the fabric thereon.

5. An apparatus for inverting tubular fabrics comprising a receiving tube, feed rolls adapted to pack the fabric thereon, said rolls and tube being relatively movable in a direction longitudinally of the tube, means for revolving the rolls to produce a packing of the fabric on the tube, and means for producing a relative longitudinal movement between said rolls and tube according to the packing of the fabric thereon.

(3. An apparatus for inverting tubular fabrics comprising a receiving tube, a car riage movable longitudinally with respect thereto during the packing of the fabric thereon, a pair of feed rolls movable with said carriage and operable to pack the fabric on said tube, pulleys connected to the rolls for operating them, and a pair of belts cooperative with said pulleys and having means for driving them in reverse directions and at the same speed. 7. An apparatus for inverting tubular fabrics comprising a receiving tube, a track arranged in parallelism therewith, a carriage movable on said track, a pair of frames pivoted on said carriage to move transversely to saidtrack, feed rolls mounted on the respective frames and movable toward and from said tube, means for revolving said rolls to pack a. fabric on said tube, and means for reciprocating the carriage and the rolls thereon in a direction longitudinally of the receiving tube during the packing of the fabric thereon.

8. An apparatus for handling tubular fabrics comprising a mandrel to receive the fabric, and a feed device cooperative therewith, said fced device and mandrel being relatively movable in a. direction longitudinally of the mandrel, means for operating the feed device to pack the fabric to-- fabric on said receiving element to feed the same longitudinally thereon, mountings for said receiving element and feeding means constructed to permit relative receding movement between such parts in a direction longitiulinaliy of the receiving element during the progressive feeding of the tube of my hand in presence of two siibscribing Witfabric thereon, a1" opera-ting meansfor nesses.

causing said feeding mean to progressively WILLIAM PALMER engage the tube of fabric on said receiving 5 element to feed such fabric longitudinally Witnesses:

thereon. JESSE V. PALMER,

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set WILLIAM E. Cox. 

